1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to post tension anchor systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to pocketformers that are used for the creation of a pocket in concrete adjacent to the end of a tendon in the anchor system. Additionally, the present invention relates to devices for securing the pocketformer in place.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
For many years, the design of concrete structures imitated typical steel design of column, girder and beam. With technological advances in structural concrete, however, its own form began to evolve. Concrete has the advantages of lower cost than steel, of not requiring fireproofing, and of its plasticity, a quality that lends itself to free flowing or boldly massive architectural concepts. On the other hand, structural concrete, though quite capable of carrying almost any compressive (vertical) load, is extremely weak in carrying significant tensile loads. It becomes necessary, therefore, to add steel bars, called reinforcements, to concrete, thus allowing the concrete to carry the compressive forces and the steel to carry the tensile (horizontal) forces.
Structures of reinforced concrete may be constructed with load-bearing walls, but this method does not use the full potentialities of the concrete. The skeleton frame, in which the floors and roofs rest directly on exterior and interior reinforced-concrete columns, has proven to be most economic and popular. Reinforced concrete framing is seemingly a quite simple form of construction. First, wood or steel forms are constructed in the sizes, positions, and shapes called for by engineering and design requirements. The steel reinforcing is then placed and held in position by wires at its intersections. Devices known as chairs and spacers are used to keep the reinforcing bars apart and raised off the form work. The size and number of the steel bars depends completely upon the imposed loads and the need to transfer these loads evenly throughout the building and down to the foundation. After the reinforcing is set in place, the concrete, a mixture of water, cement, sand, and stone or aggregate, of proportions calculated to produce the required strength, is placed, care being taken to prevent voids or honeycombs.
One of the simplest designs in concrete frames is the beam-and-slab. This system follows ordinary steel design that uses concrete beams that are cast integrally with the floor slabs. The beam-and-slab system is often used in apartment buildings and other structures where the beams are not visually objectionable and can be hidden. The reinforcement is simple and the forms for casting can be utilized over and over for the same shape. The system, therefore, produces an economically viable structure. With the development of flat-slab construction, exposed beams can be eliminated. In this system, reinforcing bars are projected at right angles and in two directions from every column supporting flat slabs spanning twelve or fifteen feet in both directions.
Reinforced concrete reaches its highest potentialities when it is used in pre-stressed or post-tensioned members. Spans as great as 100 feet can be attained in members as deep as three feet for roof loads. The basic principal is simple. In pre-stressing, reinforcing rods of high tensile strength wires are stretched to a certain determined limit and then high-strength concrete is placed around them. When the concrete has set, it holds the steel in a tight grip, preventing slippage or sagging. Post-tensioning follows the same principal, but the reinforcing is held loosely in place while the concrete is placed around it. The reinforcing is then stretched by hydraulic jacks and securely anchored into place. Prestressing is done with individual members in the shop and post-tensioning as part of the structure on the site.
In a typical tendon tensioning anchor assembly in such post-tensioning operations, there is provided a pair of anchors for anchoring the ends of the tendons suspended therebetween. In the course of installing the tendon tensioning anchor assembly in a concrete structure, a hydraulic jack or the like is releasably attached to one of the exposed ends of the tendon for applying a predetermined amount of tension to the tendon. When the desired amount of tension is applied to the tendon, wedges, threaded nuts, or the like, are used to capture the tendon and, as the jack is removed from the tendon, to prevent its relaxation and hold it in its stressed condition.
In such post-tension construction, the tendons are anchored and cut off just inside the face of the structure in what are termed “pockets.” The “pockets” surrounding the tendon end are filled with a concrete grout. A “pocketformer” is placed in the concrete adjacent to the face of the structure and against an end of the terminal anchor. After the concrete is suitably hardened, a form board is removed and the pocketformer is removed so as to expose the pocket. The ends of the tendon extend outwardly of the pocket. After the tensioning has occurred, the pocket is then filled with a concrete grout so as to be flush with the face of the structure.
Typical pocketformers as used in the prior art have a frustoconical surface on the exterior of the pocketformer. The frustoconical shape defines the pocket. A central tubular member is formed within the interior of the frustoconical portion. One end of the tubular member extends into the central bore of the anchor. The interior of the tubular member allows the tendon to extend therethrough. The tubular member is generally centered within the interior of the frustoconical portion. The surface of the anchor will abut the narrow end of the frustoconical portion. The wide end of the frustoconical portion will abut a surface of a form board. The tubular member extends through a hole in the form board. As such, the tendon will extend outwardly of the form board during the formation of the concrete structure.
One of the problems with the prior art pocketformer is the inability to properly secure the anchor relative to the pocketformer. In conventional practice, long threaded members will extend through holes in the anchor member and be attached to the form board. After the concrete is hardened, it will be necessary to remove the threaded members or nails. If these items are not removed, then corrosion can occur and rust patterns will form on the facing surface of the concrete structure. Furthermore, the use of nails or threaded members for securing the anchor relative to the form board is a time consuming and labor-intensive operation. As such, a need has developed so as to allow the anchor to be removably secured to the pocketformer during the installation of the pocketformer.
In the past, various patents have issued relating to pocketformers that serve to retain the anchor in place, against the form board, during the installation of the anchor. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,844,697, issued on Oct. 29, 1974 to H. J. W. Edwards, describes an anchorage assembly including an anchor having a hollow housing and a means therein for engaging a stressing tendon passing therethrough. The hollow member is removably attached to the anchor housing and to the concrete formwork and fixing the relative position of the anchor housing to the formwork. The member surrounds the tendon between the anchor housing and the formwork and is adapted and arranged to be detached from the anchor housing after the concrete has set. A cavity forming spacer is provided which surrounds the member and is disposed between and seals against the anchor housing and the formwork to form a cavity in the concrete.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,797, issued on May 18, 1976 to Brandestini, describes a pocketformer apparatus in which the pocketformer is initially threaded into the interior opening of a steel anchor. As such, the steel anchor will have internal threads which threadedly receive the external threads on the end of the pocketformer. The pocketformer includes an interior bore through which the tendon passes. On the opposite end of the pocketformer is a threaded section which extends on an opposite side of the form board from the anchor. A threaded nut is threadedly received by the threads of the pocketformer which extend on the opposite side of the form board.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,974, issued on Oct. 18, 1977 to Howlett et al., describes a method of forming a concrete structure with a recess to receive an anchorage. This method includes a tubular mounting means mounted to extend over the tendon and through an opening in a bearing or anchor plate in order to secure the bearing plate in a fixed position aligned in relation to the tendon for casting the bearing plate into the concrete member in a predetermined orientation. A spacing means is provided between the form board and the anchor plate so as to allow the anchor plate to be cast into a recess in the concrete member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,462, issued on Dec. 14, 1982 to Wlodkowski et al., teaches a formwork for a concrete structural member. This device includes a recoverable formwork part. The recoverable part has an axially elongated sheath which closely encloses a tendon. A cup-shaped part is formed integrally with the sheath and is arranged to form at least a portion of the recess in the concrete member. When assembled on the formwork, one end of the sheath is arranged to be located within the concrete when it is poured and the other end is located on the exterior of the formwork. The cup-shaped part is located intermediate of the ends of the sheath and just inside the formwork. A member is engageable with the sheath for attaching it to the formwork.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,102, issued on Apr. 27, 1999 to the present inventor, describes a pocketformer apparatus for a post-tension anchor system. This pocketformer apparatus includes a tubular member with an outwardly flanged end, a securement member affixed to the tubular member, and a cup member having an interior opening such that the tubular member extends through the interior opening. The tubular member has an interior passageway extending from the flanged end to another end. The flanged end engages an anchor of the post-tension anchor system. The cup member is interposed between the flanged end and the securement member on the tubular member. The tubular member has an externally threaded area extending inwardly of the end opposite the flanged end. The securement member is threadedly received by the externally threaded area. An annular ring is formed on the flanged end of the tubular member so as to engage a receptacle formed in the encapsulation of the anchor. The securement member, the cup member and the tubular member are formed of a polymeric material.
Although the system described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,102 has performed well in actual usage, the system described in this patent is particularly adapted for use in association with an encapulated anchor. In particular, the flanged end of the tubular member engages the cap-receiving opening at the end of the encapsulation of the anchor member. In certain circumstances, certain construction requirements specify the use of a unencapsulated anchor. When such construction projects are specified, the system described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,102 cannot be adequately utilized. As such, a need has developed so as to provide a nailless pocketformer system whereby the system would accommodate unencapsulated anchorages.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,436,425, issued on Jul. 25, 1995 to the present inventor, describes a system whereby the tendon can be properly cut by using a plasma cutting torch. The present inventor is also the owner of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/317,097, filed on May 23, 1999, for another system for the cutting of a tendon used in post-tension anchor systems. These systems utilize a plasma cutting torch which utilizes a positioning element for interconnecting the head of a plasma cutting torch with a tendon to be severed. The pocket into which the plasma cutting torch and positioning element are inserted has a particular configuration so as to allow enough space for the apparatus. In actual use, the product described in this patent and this patent application has been very successful. As such, a need has existed for the use of such a plasma cutting torch in association with unencapsulated anchor systems.
The present inventor is identified as the inventor on a pair of patents dealing with such pocketformer apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,102 issued on Apr. 27, 1999 to the present inventor, describes a pocketformer apparatus for a post-tension anchor system that has a tubular member with an outwardly flanged end, a securement member affixed to the tubular member, and a cup member having an interior opening such that the tubular member extends through the interior opening. The tubular member has an interior passageway extending from the flanged end to another end. The flanged end engages an anchor of the post-tension anchor system. The cup member is interposed between the flanged end and the securement member on the tubular member. The tubular member has an externally threaded area extending inwardly of the end opposite the flanged end. The securement member is threadedly received by the externally threaded area. An annular ring is formed on the flanged end of the tubular member so as to engage a receptacle formed on the anchor. The securement member, the cup member and the tubular member are formed of polymeric material.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,393,781, issued on May 28, 2002 to the present inventor, also describes a pocketformer apparatus for post-tension construction. This pocketformer apparatus has an anchor member having a wedge-receiving cavity therein, a tubular member having a portion extending through the wedge-receiving cavity, a first securement member affixed to a first end of the tubular member, a cup member positioned over the tubular member, and a second securement member affixed to a second end of the tubular member. The cup member is interposed between the second securement member and the anchor member. The tubular member also extends through a hole in a form board. The second securement member is positioned on one side of the form board. The cup member and the anchor member are positioned on an opposite side of the form board. A tendon extends through the tubular member.
One of the problems associated with each of these prior art patents is the requirement for various appliances that are required in order to create the assembly. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,393,781 a securement member located on a side of the anchor is required so as to engage with the threads on the tubular member. In circumstances in the field, this securement member can be lost or misplaced. As such, it can be difficult to install or misinstalled. Furthermore, this securement member must be threaded along the length of the tendon so as to be in a proper position for assembly. Often, the threads of the securement member are misaligned with the threads on the end of the tubular member that a proper positioning cannot be achieved. In the prior art, threads cannot be formed on the interior passageway on the anchor body since such threads could interfere with the proper seating of the wedge used to secure the tendon within the anchor. The internal cavity of the anchor was continuously tapered from one side of the anchor to the opposite side of the anchor. Any attempt to form threads on such a tapered surface would be ineffective. As such, it was not believed possible to install threads on the interior cavity of the anchor body.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pocketformer system which allows the anchor to be properly secured in place relative to the form board.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a pocketformer system whereby an unencapsulated anchor can be properly positioned relative to the form board without the use of nails.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pocketformer system which eliminates the need for nails or threaded members for the attachment of the anchor relative to the form board.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a pocketformer system which is easy to use, relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a pocketformer system which minimizes the number of components required in order to create the pocket.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a pocketformer system which allows the end of the tubular member to be directly engaged with the interior passageway of the anchor body so as to establish a direct fixed positioning of the anchor body relative to the pocketformer cup.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.